Hey, all. Even though I said I have a bit more time to write doesn't mean I was actually able to. Spring classes were more overwhelming than I thought, but I managed to get a small reprieve thanks to the Memorial Day weekend. Though unfortunately, I couldn't get around posting this due to outside circumstances (aka spring classes, work, social life, family, etc.).
A lot of you were really anxious for me to update this, but be thankful that this is still ongoing and not on hiatus like most other stories out there, so now enjoy the show… erm, chapter.
It was now Thursday. In amidst of all the typical excitement that came along with the ongoing Champions League tournament, the amount of binding tension countered it as it emanated among the battlers chosen to participate this day. This day was also particularly tense for a reason as a small group of Ash's friends had gathered to watch a certain someone's battle. They were all seated together a few rows away from the front in the rock stadium. The battle would start in a few minutes.
Who else would they gather for that they mutually knew and respected?
"Two in a row, who would've thought?" Misty quipped, her tone lightly sardonic but her expression amazed. "Think he'll pull through again like last time?"
"It's not like me to doubt Ash's power now, but even I can tell that the Pokémon League is purposely testing him," Brock remarked.
"He pulled off a surprise chance attack back with Lorelei," Max mentioned. "I'm hoping something similar will happen here against Bruno."
"Ash's battle style has been unpredictable and versatile in the past, but now packs more of a spicy punch in the present," Cilan added. "Even though Bruno of the Elite Four knocked Stephan out of the tournament just the past round, I'm still sure with all the training Ash has done that this battle should be one for the ages."
"Wouldn't doubt you there, Cilan," Dawn concurred.
"At least you're in better spirits than before, Dawn," Cilan replied warmly. "That's always a tasty treat to look forward to as friends."
"Thanks! Speaking of friends, where's Iris? I haven't seen her since her battle against Georgia."
"Come to think of it, May's not here either," Misty pointed out concernedly. "She's always excited when it comes to Ash's battles."
Max and Cilan briefly exchanged rather guilty glances before looking at opposite directions, finding parts of the atmosphere around them to be suddenly more interesting than their friends. Misty and Dawn sent chilling suspicious glares upon the two while Brock looked on worriedly for his fellow men from the side and silently prayed that they came out alive.
"Max…," Misty scolded.
"Cilan…," Dawn followed warningly.
"Is there something going on that we weren't told about?" the two overbearing girls demanded ominously.
"I swear, I was going to tell you first thing, but I… got amnesia!" Max panicked.
"N-Now calm down, girls," Cilan advised as tactfully as possible, gesturing them down with his hands. "I know you all are tighter than a bottled fruity drink, but don't you think you're overreacting?"
Following the words of the Striaton City Pokémon Connoisseur, the girls' rage seemed to have subsided, only to be replaced with deadpan annoyance. They looked at each other for a moment before resuming their glare upon Cilan.
"'Bottled fruity drink,' really?" Dawn repeated darkly.
"Hate to say it, but that's a new low even for you," Misty agreed.
"… This isn't stewing as well as I hoped," Cilan mumbled, curling into his lap as he became downcast from these turn of events.
"Now isn't the time for that," Brock intervened now that the girls were calmer and approachable. "Tell us what happened to Iris and May."
"You first, Cilan," Max requested, nudging the taller individual out of his angst with a quick elbow jab.
"Right… Well, this is actually the pungent aftertaste of her battle with Georgia taking effect not too long ago," Cilan began.
This morning…
Iris and Axew stood at the docks of New Island, staring out into the vast ocean horizon. With a calm expression, she steeled herself as she approached one of the departing ships with her little Pokémon following behind closely. Though as she reached a few meters away from the boarding ramp, a friendly voice called out to her, to which she stopped in place.
"Iris!"
She turned around, finding Cilan and his Pansage running up to her. Her expression didn't change too much as she figured someone was about to go look for her.
"Hey, Cilan," Iris greeted. "You're probably wondering what I was doing."
The Pokémon Connoisseur was momentarily out of breath upon reaching her, leaning upon his knees to recover from the impromptu run. Pansage appeared to be mimicking its Trainer's actions.
"I was going to say, were you going to leave since you're by the boat?" Cilan inquired. "You do know that Ash's next battle will take place later today."
"I do, but what's the point for me in going? Call him a kid and watch him leap bounds and match wits against powerful Trainers while I'm still twiddling my thumbs like a helpless baby?"
"Iris, what is this about?"
Cilan had narrowed his eyes on his fellow Unova companion. Iris certainly wasn't as chipper as she normally was. There was something eating away at her from the inside. Iris realized that she couldn't really hide anything from her perceptive friend.
"I really hate to say it, but Georgia was right," Iris began, following with a heavy sigh. "… About everything."
"What are you talking about?" Cilan asked again. "Are you referring back to your last battle with her? You did pretty well against her."
"But that's just it!" Iris exclaimed in a huff, throwing her arms in the air. "Aside from me using Dragonite's strength, I haven't done anything phenomenal that warrants becoming a Dragon Master! I haven't even been training ever since we went back to Unova. I haven't been taking my own goals seriously and have done nothing to get stronger. Why else would Dragonite lose to Georgia? I've done nothing!"
"I can taste what this recipe of anxiety is stewing," Cilan muttered pensively. "So you're finally learning from your loss. That doesn't explain why you're leaving."
"I need a change," Iris explained. "Now that I've looked back, I've done nothing but wait on Ash after finding that he's here. And yet, none of us, including his previous friends, were able to hold him down. It's like we're completely invisible to him. And he's now in a league of his own, so much different than when he was with us."
"So… do you feel that you'll find the change you need somewhere else?" Cilan continued.
"Maybe," Iris responded somberly. "I need to find that out for myself in addition to learning more about the ways of Dragon Pokémon." She looked down by her feet where Axew was standing. "And perhaps my Pokémon will also get stronger from this, too."
"I see," Cilan commented lowly. "Well, I can't stop you from doing what you think that can help you in the long run, but the least I can do now is lend you my support. While I'm still in the Champions League along with Chili, I'm also staying around to see Ash make it to the end. After all, he's still my friend and I know he's still yours."
"Thanks, Cilan," Iris replied with a fond smile. "I promise I won't let you or Ash down. I'll return to New Island stronger than ever. I'll become stronger than Georgia, and I will prove to her that I can become a powerful Dragon Trainer."
"Then best wishes to you, Iris."
As friends, they shared a brief, meaningful hug before Iris departed up the ramp and set sail to parts currently unknown.
"So Iris is finally being serious with her dream to the point that she left, huh?" Misty surmised. "It can't be helped. Those of us that aren't competing right now aren't compelled to stay."
"Yeah, I mean I left for a short time too," Dawn interjected before glancing at Max. "What about May?"
"Funny story is that it's kind of a similar story, but at the same time, it's not," Max began.
"You're not making any sense, Max," Brock spoke up. "Did May leave to return competing in Contests?"
"No, she's still on the island," Max answered. "Long story short, Drew and her other rivals found her here and pulled her aside trying to convince her to return to the Sinnoh region and compete in the Super Contests before the next Grand Festival."
"By other rivals, does that include Solidad?" Brock inquired.
"Mm-hmm, and strangely enough, Harley was also in on it," Max continued. "I'm impressed that all three of them are together and are actually trying to bring my sister back with them, Harley especially."
"A lot of time has passed since we traveled together," Brock pointed out. "People are capable of change. For one thing, you don't sound as upset about mentioning Harley being close to May."
"I still don't like what he's done to May in the past, but he seems to be more civil to her now," Max admitted. "It's probably because both Drew and Solidad have been keeping him under control. As long as they're also around, Harley has been on good behavior, but even the slightest misstep against my sister and I'll be coming for him."
"Well said," Brock chuckled to himself.
"Yeah, no need to worry," Dawn intervened. "Now that we know what's up with May and Iris, let's root for Ash! The battle is about to start!"
Ash and Bruno had emerged into their respective Trainer boxes from the underground stage setup. Both faced each other with steely gazes of fierce determination while the referee recited the standard Pokémon battle rules of three-on-three, no time limit, and substitutions allowed at any time. Although the referee did reach the end of reciting the regulations, Bruno was the first to change expression with a pleased smile.
"I personally watched your last battle with Lorelei, kid," Bruno began. "You've grown since the last I saw you. Have you figured out your own secret in Pokémon training?"
Considering his behavior from previous matches, Ash unexpectedly returned an amiable expression, slightly softening his hardened glances.
"… I believe in my Pokémon and they believe in me," Ash replied. "… That's no secret."
"Excellent, I'm really looking forward to this bout now more than ever with that confident aura you're exuding right now," Bruno said, immediately making his first Pokémon choice. "If you gave Lorelei a run for her money, then let's see how much your strength compares to mine. Rather, you and your Pokémon compared to me and my Pokémon."
"Trainers, select your first Pokémon!" the referee announced.
"Hoo hah! I'll start things out with Hitmonlee!"
"… Noctowl… I choose you!"
Ash's Pokémon was the first to take form upon release, spreading its wings out and revealing the great sheen its unique coloration naturally gave off. It calmly hovered a few meters in the air, focusing upon the Hitmonlee that appeared in a meditative stance. Upon realizing that he was called into battle, the eyes of the Kicking Pokémon shot wide open. Hitmonlee stood tall and engaged into a battle stance.
"The first round matchup is between Ash's shiny Noctowl and Bruno's Hitmonlee!" the commentator announced as the Pokémon's images lit up on the scoreboard. "Noctowl currently has the advantage in type, but we're not about to count Hitmonlee out just yet. I've personally witnessed Hitmonlee claiming victory alone in previous performances throughout Bruno's career as a Pokémon Trainer."
"Ash is allowed the first move," the referee added, raising his flags up to signal the commencement. "Now, battle begin!"
Ash & (Noctowl, ?, ?) VS Bruno & (Hitmonlee, ?, ?)
"… Noctowl… Air Slash!"
The Owl Pokémon held up a wing to conjure up a condensed blade of wind and tossed it almost instantaneously towards its designated opponent. Unimpressed by the attempt, Hitmonlee merely leapt incredibly high in the air to avoid the Air Slash.
"And Noctowl has started things off with a strong Air Slash attack," the commentator began. "Unfortunately, it couldn't make a hit on Bruno's speedy Hitmonlee."
"… Noctowl… Lock on and use Air Slash back to back!"
"Hitmonlee, dodge them all!"
The Kicking Pokémon returned to the ground after his first jump and ran immediately to evade more Air Slashes thrown his way. With an unblinking and unnerving look, Noctowl's eyes followed Hitmonlee's direction and kept sending Air Slash after Air Slash back to back. Hitmonlee ducked, hopped, and rolled to the side, effectively maneuvering away from the barrage of Flying-type attacks.
"The Air Slashes are missing their mark!" the commentator exclaimed. "Hitmonlee is just too limber to touch!"
The missed Air Slashes, however, proved their power in making minor altercations upon the rock battlefield by leaving noticeable gashes on the ground and scattered rock peaks. Hitmonlee was internally thankful that he did not receive a hit yet from an attack as strong as this Pokémon's Air Slash.
Though while he paid close attention on Noctowl's position and gestures, Hitmonlee somehow overlooked the fact that he was about to run on top of a subtly peaking rock. Bruno was able to figure out their strategy and called out to Hitmonlee as quickly as he could.
"Hitmonlee, watch out!"
"Mon?" Hitmonlee grunted, glancing back at his Trainer before looking at the ground by his feet as he shuffled about.
The Kicking Pokémon caught on a little too late as he failed to adjust to the hidden imbalance within the ground, tripping over and stumbling. Noctowl saw the opportunity as Ash wanted it to and released a stronger Air Slash towards the vulnerable Hitmonlee.
Hitmonlee, however, was swift enough to regain his balance and leap away as quickly as he could. However, the Air Slash did manage to strike an ankle, causing him to fall over again.
"That was a super effective hit and Hitmonlee appears to have taken some damage," the commentator noted. "Even if this is Bruno's Hitmonlee we're talking about, will the Fighting-type Pokémon be able to handle more attacks like that?"
"Not bad at luring Hitmonlee around like that," Bruno mused. "It's time we went on the offensive. Hitmonlee, confront Noctowl!"
Hitmonlee was still in great shape despite suffering the first attack, getting back up and charging in towards the shiny Pokémon. Noctowl descended to the ground in order to invite him closer into attacking. Regardless if he knew if his opponent was setting a trap or not, Hitmonlee was prepared to face it head on and overpower it with his own strength.
"… Noctowl… another Air Slash!"
"Use Rolling Kick!"
Moments after Noctowl had thrown in another sharp gust of wind, Hitmonlee leapt up and swung a leg to actually knock the attack away effortlessly. He then swung his other leg and extended it far enough to sweep Noctowl right out of the sky.
"It looks like Hitmonlee is no longer fooling around after taking on Noctowl's attacks and striking back with an effective Rolling Kick," the commentator narrated. "That actually looked like it hurt a lot."
Noctowl managed to regain control in its fall and caught itself before landing on the ground. It remained in place, staring down as Hitmonlee landed back on the field and prepared to strike again.
"Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick again!"
"… Extrasensory!"
"Yorooouu!" Noctowl crooned, heightening its mental prowess for the ordered Psychic-type attack.
Before Hitmonlee could extend his leg out again for a roundhouse kick, Noctowl unleashed a confining stream of psychokinetic power from its distinctive eyebrows to capture the Kicking Pokémon in place. The peculiar psychic waves were quite damaging enough on Hitmonlee, but Noctowl took it a step further by levitating his body about and slamming him hard on the ground multiple times.
"Do it, Hitmonlee!"
Hitmonlee had then proved strong enough once again to overcome the Owl Pokémon's power by breaking a hand out of the Extrasensory and catching himself on the ground as Noctowl willed for him to fall. Noctowl grimaced from the action, allowing the momentary shock to give Hitmonlee the advantage of freeing himself from the Psychic-type attack through sheer will.
Of course, dealing with a Pokémon of an Elite Four member, Ash could not stop his attacks for even a second lest he gave them more opportunities to counterattack.
"… Noctowl… use Sky Attack!"
Using Hitmonlee's moment to recover from the pain caused by Extrasensory, Noctowl charged up huge amounts of energy within its small body to the point that the energy made itself manifest in the form of a bright blazing aura that took the shape of the typical Flying-type Pokémon. The Owl Pokémon had then flapped a few times to build altitude before diving down with increased speed from the descent of its height.
"Detect!"
An acute twinkle sparkled from the corner of Hitmonlee's right eye. Regardless of how fast Noctowl was able to charge up energy for the Sky Attack and carry it out, Hitmonlee was able to easily sidestep out of its path.
"That Sky Attack would've caused some major damage had it hit!" the commentator remarked. "But Hitmonlee dodged it at the last second with Detect."
"Bruno managed to turn it around by making Ash think he had him on the ropes with all those attacks," Brock added. "But Bruno was waiting for him to make a move like Sky Attack in order to get Ash to let his guard down."
"Hitmonlee, go after Noctowl and use High Jump Kick!"
As if he knew what Bruno wanted, Hitmonlee had leapt straightaway after Noctowl following the evasion of Sky Attack. He then struck a knee out and jabbed right into Noctowl's back despite the Owl Pokémon still being cloaked in bright flaming energy.
The contact, as a result, caused a jarring explosion in the air. Hitmonlee managed to land back on his feet with minimal scars and smoke carried on from the aftermath. Noctowl tumbled out of the haze, seemingly immobile and wracked in pain. It landed on the front of its torso, though it did manage to catch itself with its wings to avoid further damage.
With a bit of reluctance, Ash surprisingly pulled out a Poké Ball and sent the retracting red beam to call back his Pokémon.
"It looks like Ash has been pushed into a corner as he is making the first substitution for this match," the commentator noted. "This is also the first time he's made the first substitution before his opponent in the Champions League. Has Bruno become too much for him?"
Elsewhere in the stands…
Anabel observed Ash thanking his Noctowl before putting its Poké Ball away and replacing it with a new one on hand. She knew that the Owl Pokémon still had plenty of endurance left to go against Hitmonlee, but Ash was playing it safe for now by using a new Pokémon to hopefully finish off Bruno's first Pokémon quickly.
But still…
Even with a few successful hits with super effective attacks, Hitmonlee was still raring to go. The Salon Maiden was more than impressed by the amount of power and stamina the Kicking Pokémon had since the start of the match.
That didn't mean that she considered giving up on Ash.
"He'll pull through like always," Anabel murmured to herself. "He and his Pokémon believe in each other on levels beyond what I can see."
"… Muk… I choose you!"
The large and amorphous Poison-type Pokémon took to the field, holding up its arms as an attempt to magnify its intimidating factor. Hitmonlee took a defensive step back, though he himself was unsure of the actual reason. Did the reason concern the currently unknown strength of the Sludge Pokémon or was it in regards to its infamous stench?
"Ash's second Pokémon is Muk!" the commentator exclaimed as the second slot on Ash's side of the Trainer scoreboard was marked. "What an interesting tactic to go on the defense due to Muk's resistance against Fighting-type moves and its own tremendous bulk. Will it be enough to hold off Hitmonlee's kicking onslaught?"
Based from what they saw regarding Ash's previous Pokémon being outmatched, his old friends and traveling companions were actually worried for him now. He had barely struggled in his early matches and had fought well enough against Lorelei to defeat her. Now Bruno just seemed to be a large step higher than she was.
"I don't think I've ever seen Ash quickly go the defensive before," Misty remarked. "He usually just relies on instinct and attack or pull some trick on his opponents."
"We're seeing Bruno's true power now," Brock warned. "He is still on his first Pokémon while he managed to force Ash to switch to his second. The bond that he has with his Fighting-types is remarkable."
"But Hitmonlee has been worn out by Noctowl, so Muk should be able to win this one," Dawn countered.
"Let's hope you're right, Dawn."
"Hitmonlee, use Rolling Kick!"
The new round started off with Hitmonlee extending a leg out and sending a sharp kick from the side right into Muk. The Sludge Pokémon barely moved a few inches from the impact while Hitmonlee's leg was cushioned by its body. Sensing that nothing more could be done, Hitmonlee retracted his leg and resumed a fighting stance. Muk simply bellowed, challenging the Kicking Pokémon to attack again.
"And Muk absorbed the blow from Rolling Kick!" the commentator remarked. "I guess it is safe to assume that its defenses are enough to take on Hitmonlee's kicks."
"It's strong, but not speedy," Bruno ruminated to himself. "Hitmonlee, let's them harder with High Jump Kick!"
"… Acid Armor!"
Hitmonlee leapt high into the air and pointed a powered knee toward Muk's center for his descent. At the same time, Muk's body appeared to give off a vibrant, watery appearance, as though it was melting. Its body was also momentarily highlighted by a hollowed light column of blue. Bruno gritted his teeth, realizing what was about to happen now.
As Muk had used Acid Armor, its body seemed to slump even lower due to the temporary change in its density. Hitmonlee did manage to strike against Muk with his powerful knee, but Muk's liquefied body allowed Hitmonlee to slip right through and damage his knee upon sliding into the ground.
"Now that's something you don't see every day!" the commentator yelped, genuinely surprised. "Acid Armor is a special move that strengthens the user's defensive power by a couple of stages. But not only did that hold true for Ash's Muk, it was used as an evasive move by completely liquefying its body to the point that attacks easily roll off its back."
"Most Pokémon that are capable of learning Acid Armor can still be attacked despite the great defense, but it takes a lot of training to actually allow the Pokémon to change its form from solid to liquid by will," Bruno added, smiling decisively. "Now to really turn up the heat. Blaze Kick!"
Despite being on his knees after suffering the recoil damage of the missed High Jump Kick, Hitmonlee promptly struck back by sending a foot engulfed in flames right into Muk. The attack had been strong enough to force Muk out of its concentration and caused its body back to its solid state. However, it still held strong from the defense boost granted from Acid Armor.
"… Grab Hitmonlee!"
Muk slipped an arm around Hitmonlee's leg while it was still stuck in its body. The flames from the Blaze Kick soon ceased once Muk had full constriction upon the leg.
"Mon-lee?" Hitmonlee grunted, staggering about to pull his leg back out of Muk's slimy grip, but its hold was sturdier than it appeared.
"… Use Toxic!"
Muk opened its mouth wide and sprayed a thick stream of venomous purple liquid to completely drench Hitmonlee's body in. The Toxic remnants quickly dripped off, leaving the Kicking Pokémon to appear quite nauseous from the wake. Hitmonlee had trouble keeping his eyes fully open as violet energy sparks and bubbles discharged from his face.
"Muk has the upper hand now upon badly poisoning Hitmonlee with Toxic!" the commentator relayed. "Unlike regular poisoning, the poison caused by Toxic will eat away at the Pokémon's stamina at greater intervals."
"I hate seeing my Pokémon suffer like this, but we're not going down without a fight," Bruno declared. "Hitmonlee is already reaching the end, so we'll just have to clean this up smoothly. Now Hitmonlee, get Muk off you with Rolling Kick! Follow up with another Blaze Kick!"
Disregarding his current state of weakness, Hitmonlee swung his free leg to strike Muk squarely in the face with. However, the poison managed to slow his reaction time to the point that Muk was able to recover quickly enough to cease his other leg. Hitmonlee nearly collapsed upon his back, barely holding himself up with his arms as the dangerous poison continued to drain away his stamina at an alarming rate.
"… Muk… Sludge Bomb!"
The amorphous Poison-type was free to attack again with utilization of its mouth, hurling several large globs of filthy, volatile sludge upon Hitmonlee. They rained noxious explosions about his area, quickly whittling what was left of his endurance before his arms finally gave out and allowed him to unceremoniously fall onto his back.
Muk released his legs afterwards as it was clear from the Kicking Pokémon's dazed eyes that this round was over.
"Hitmonlee is unable to battle!" the referee ruled out, raising a flag to the air. "Muk is the winner!"
"And Bruno is down to two Pokémon while Ash still has all three!" the commentator updated. "Muk still seems to be hanging strong despite of the beat downs Hitmonlee had put it through. What will either side do at this point?"
Bruno had recalled his fallen Fighting-type Pokémon and given consolations for a well-fought battle while Ash remained waiting for him to make his next move. It appeared that he was going to stay with Muk for this next fight instead of swapping it out for Noctowl or his third Pokémon.
"No use even trying to hold back now," Bruno muttered, smirking keenly as he took out his second Poké Ball. "Let's see how he handles this one. Go, Machamp!"
Bruno's signature Fighting-type Pokémon took to the field, flexing his four muscled arms out in a show of strength upon release. Muk growled back as fiercely as its new opponent did, raising both of its slimy arms high to compete in showing off.
"It looks like Bruno is not playing around this time if he's using Machamp as his second Pokémon," the commentator continued. "Muk has already taken some damage from its last fight, but it appears just as strong and eager to battle as when it was first sent out against Hitmonlee."
"… Muk… use Sludge Bomb!"
"Block them all!"
Muk initiated the first attack, sending a furious barrage of Sludge Bombs upon Machamp. The Superpower Pokémon moved all four hands as far apart as they could be before swinging them about to knock away the incoming filthy globs. Machamp's arms and hands were in a blur as they took on the Sludge Bomb.
"Folks, I can't keep up with those punches," the commentator jested. "Can you? In any case, Machamp won't be going down that easily."
"Counterattack with Low Sweep!"
"… Acid Armor!"
Machamp lumbered forward as Muk prepared to change the state of its body from solid to liquid while increasing its already incredible defense by a couple of stages more. However, Machamp appeared to have speed up, already reaching a distance of a few feet from his target before sticking a leg out for the Low Sweep.
Muk couldn't melt away in time as Machamp easily swept his leg right through the Sludge Pokémon's lower section and actually lifting it a short distance up from the ground as a result. Both Ash and Muk were caught off guard by this turn of events, even as the latter's body glowed to signify the defense increase.
Though Muk landed on its back, its body temporarily flashed red as a result of a speed power down, courtesy of Low Sweep's effect.
"You can't hide from Machamp's attacks no matter what because of No Guard," Bruno explained. "In exchange, unfortunately, all attacks can hit Machamp back. But with our power, we can push through any attack thrown our way no matter what."
"… Toxic!"
Ash wasn't about to let his guard down again. Machamp was a very powerful Pokémon, so he would have to take any possible advantage he had now and use them before Bruno could render them useless. With the Superpower Pokémon already close to Muk, the latter had no problem in promptly drenching its opponent with a vile dose of intense poison.
Upon being hit, Machamp backed off in discomfort as the badly poisoned status effect took over his body. Just like Hitmonlee before him, the poisonous sparks and bubbles were viciously discharging from his head.
"And Toxic strikes again, claiming Machamp as its latest victim!" the commentator exclaimed.
"Ash can't rely on Toxic the whole time," Misty murmured. "I'm sure Bruno has something that can counter poison."
"But at least now, the poison will sap away Machamp's strength just like it did with Hitmonlee," Max pointed out. "Muk should at least be able to endure against Machamp and let the poison do its thing."
"Yeah, so no need to worry," Dawn concurred.
"Still, I doubt that Ash would just sit idly by without ensuring that the poison will finish off Machamp," Cilan said.
"He has been playing smarter since he first battled Lorelei," Brock reminded. "Improving moves, type advantages, and Abilities along with his own unpredictable battle style just shows how much he's progressed now."
"I suppose I had that coming, but time to return the favor with Dynamic Punch!"
In spite of the poison significantly eating away at his stamina, Machamp concentrated great willpower into his lower right fist before squarely thrusting it into Muk's face. The collision elicited a powerful explosion of energy that sent Muk flying into the air and landing several meters from its original spot.
Muk regained its composure while clasping the sides of its head with both hands, as though it was suffering a headache. Ash immediately noted of the dark, cross-eyed look in the Sludge Pokémon's eyes once they reopened.
"That Dynamic Punch left Muk reeling in from its remarkable force to the point that it's now been confused," the commentator clarified.
"… Muk!" Ash called out.
Muk wasn't easily brought back to its senses yet. Instead, it wildly released Sludge Bombs upon the field, causing various explosions about it. Machamp crossed all four arms, protecting himself from some of the Sludge Bombs that rained upon him. He maintained the defensive stance despite the Toxic's poison surging about and making him want to cringe in pain.
"Machamp, use Facade!"
The Superpower Pokémon had spread his arms out and flexed their biceps. He was working himself to the point that sweat droplets with being sprayed everywhere while his body became illuminated by an orange aura. Once the aura had reached its brightest, Machamp went forward and shoulder tackled right into Muk, pushing the Sludge Pokémon further back.
It ceased its Sludge Bomb rampage and its confusion wore off after that hard tackle. However, as indicated by its slumping posture, Muk was certainly feeling worn out now. The powerful hits sent in by Machamp were shattering through its defenses. Machamp was feeling the effects of being badly poisoned once more after disengaging from his Facade attack. It wouldn't be long until either Pokémon would be down for the count soon.
"If that Dynamic Punch knocked some sense out of Muk, it looks like that powered-up Facade knocked sense back into it," the commentator joked once more. "Machamp's attacks have been strong enough to pierce through Muk's defenses, but at the cost of losing more and more endurance to the Toxic poison."
"Ash, I can tell that you're tempted to switch Muk out for Noctowl, whose Flying and Psychic attacks would quickly finish off of Machamp at this state," Bruno surmised, surprising the Pallet Town Trainer. "I can read into your eyes that you deeply care for all of your Pokémon and have brought out their max potential. This is how you're able to stand toe-to-toe with me at an equal setting."
"… … Thanks," Ash acknowledged, but knew Bruno had something more to say.
"However, let me show you why substituting to your Flying-type now is a bad idea, aside from the fact that Muk is ready to collapse at any moment," Bruno resumed. "Use Stone Edge!"
Machamp promptly punched into the ground with all four hands, using his power to cause an upslide of study, pointed rock pillars heading towards Muk's way. Muk couldn't react in time as it was tossed up in the air by a few rock pillars swiftly emerging from underneath its body.
The Sludge Pokémon landed in a splat, barely pulling itself together as its own stamina was exhausted down to a mere sliver. Muk grimaced back, not enjoying how it was easily being pushed around despite its improved defenses.
"Muh Muh Muh Muhck!" Muk growled ominously.
"Machamp, use Stone Edge one more time and finish this!"
"… Muk! … Gunk Shot!"
As Machamp slammed his fists into the ground, Muk conjured a large dusty sphere that took the form of a filled garbage bag. It emanated a venomous violet glow. Compared to its previous Poison-type attacks, this one was particularly nasty.
Once Muk noticed the first of the Stone Edge pillars spiking out of the ground in front of Machamp, it threw the Gunk Shot with all its remaining might into the air. The two opposing attacks passed each other as one traveled along the earth while the other was hurling through the air.
*Beat*
Almost simultaneously, the two attacks struck their intended quarries full force. Muk was sent flying once more, landing on its back and unable to get back up. The Gunk Shot exploded and Machamp was sent rolling into a battlefield rock peak. He remained motionless in his crater for as long as Muk was out.
"Both Machamp and Muk are unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising both flags in the air. "This round is a double knockout!"
"You heard it here, everybody!" the commentator exclaimed as the spectators applauded for a round well done. "To recount what we've just saw, Muk was able to last against Machamp and wear the Fighting-type out with poisonous attrition tactics. Machamp used pure strength to break through Muk's defenses and wear it out the old-fashioned way. With Bruno down to his last Pokémon while Ash still has two Pokémon left, who is going to win this fourth round battle?"
Ash and Bruno had already recalled their fallen Pokémon back and had given them their gratitude for fighting as hard as they did. They resumed staring unwaveringly at each other, both with fiery desires to win this round.
Ash knew that Bruno had pure strength on his side and that if he were to stand a chance, he would need to find a way to use the Elite Four's strength against him. It was time to test what his last Pokémon would do.
"… Noctowl… I choose you!"
The shiny Noctowl had returned, gracing the field with its exotic coloration and shine. It was flying fairly well despite of the minor injuries it carried on from its last bout against Hitmonlee.
"Your Noctowl is strong and intelligent, I'll give you that much," Bruno began, winding up to throw his last Poké Ball. "But I hope it's prepared to handle something more than simple Fighting-types. Now go!"
From the small Poké Ball emerged a Pokémon of giant proportions. Once the light of the Poké Ball had cleared out, this Pokémon's form was revealed to gleam brightly as the sun casted its rays upon its body.
"Haga-neiru!" Bruno's third Pokémon roared, quaking the stadium it was in.
"I have never heard of this Pokémon used by Bruno before, so I feel it'd be safe to assume that this is the debut of Bruno's Steelix in this battle!" the commentator resumed. "I also have to give this Steelix some major points for its incredible size."
"That Steelix is gigantic!" Dawn cried out, accompanied with her Piplup's astonishment.
"I didn't know Bruno had a Steelix, much less a giant one," Max admitted, also in complete awe.
"This is the main course of Bruno's nitty-gritty power battle style," Cilan added.
"Brock, do you think it's that…?" Misty attempted to ask, but somehow fell into a loss of words.
The Pokémon Doctor, however, knew what she was getting at. She remembered where that Steelix came from, as did he. It had already been so long since that day when he, Misty, and Ash first met Bruno at Mt. Hideaway during their first year traveling together.
"I should've known that Bruno was planning to use that Pokémon against Ash," Brock spoke up. "I can tell how well raised that Steelix is, and how Ash will have to pull out all stops to win against this powerful Pokémon."
That size is not only for show, Anabel thought, attempting to maintain a neutral expression in spite of her increasing worry for Ash.
In the Pokémon Center…
While waiting for his Pokémon to recover from their arduous training earlier, Paul couldn't help but feel his own eyes widen at seeing that Steelix displayed on one of the public monitors. This Pokémon Bruno had was certainly large and in charge.
The true question was if Ash was able to match against this power of an Elite Four.
"I'm sure you recognize this Steelix as the same Onix I caught back at Mt. Hideaway those many years ago, young man," Bruno began. "Since that day, I trained it and unlocked its hidden potential. All of our efforts have culminated into what you see before you. I had a feeling we would meet one day in battle when you would be deemed worthy enough to take on the strongest Trainers in the region. This is exactly what we've been training for! Hoo hah!"
"Gah-neiru!" Steelix bellowed in fierce agreement.
Ash narrowed his eyes and slightly pulled down upon his cap before taking a deep breath. This was what he, too was training for. This was why he spent a year in isolation over in Mt. Silver. Now that he had repurposed himself to pursue his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master after shutting down the Team Rocket threat for good, this was the time to cease the dream.
The moment after the referee declared the match to begin, Ash issued the first command.
"… Noctowl… Extrasensory!"
The Owl Pokémon casted its beak wide open and mustered a stream of psychokinetic waves as large as it could. The psychic waves were wide enough to encompass the frontal half of Steelix's head. The Iron Snake Pokémon appeared to be cringing from exposure to Extrasensory, at least based from the expression on its face.
Ash wasn't convinced. He could tell that Steelix was simply acting as though it was in pain. Just what exactly were it and Bruno planning? Were they just testing how much resistance they had against Noctowl's attacks? His face lit up in horror upon immediate realization. Bruno took it as his next signal to attack.
"Steelix, use Screech!"
With a mere flick of its head, Steelix broke out of Noctowl's psychic hold and retaliated with a thick column of condensed sound waves from its large mouth that completely consumed Noctowl in the air. The unfortunate Owl Pokémon was frozen in shock and pain as the horrible frequencies overloaded its senses in addition to lowering its defenses by a couple of stages.
It came to the point that it was unable to maintain equilibrium in the air, having also placed its wings over its ears, and fell from the sky.
"I'd be surprised if Noctowl can still hear anything after receiving a powerful Screech like that!" the commentator remarked, sounding as aghast as the Screech was unbearable.
"… Use Air Slash on the ground!"
"Yoru!" Noctowl grunted, refocusing itself from the Screech aftershocks.
Having been able to hear out its Trainer's command through their bond in place of its damaged auditory senses, Noctowl flapped its wings out and sent an Air Slash straight down into the battlefield as directed. The burst of wind flattened itself upon hitting the ground, spreading out and providing a makeshift updraft cushion for Noctowl's landing.
"What a creative way to use a move like Air Slash ease one's descent!" the commentator exclaimed, followed by applause from Ash's amazed fans.
His friends couldn't help but cheer along while the vigor was among the audience. Anabel bore a proud smile. Even some of the rival competitors were impressed by the Pallet Town Trainer's quick thinking.
"You won't escape that easily," Bruno warned. "Steelix, Iron Tail!"
"… Hypnosis!"
Despite its unnaturally large size, Steelix was fast in powering up and lifting its jagged tail over where Noctowl was. All it had to do now was to let gravity plus its additional energy to crush Noctowl for good.
However, Noctowl was certainly no slouch.
Its small size and sufficient nimbleness allowed it to slip around Steelix's Iron Tail. Noctowl had then ridden along the aftershocks from the Iron Snake Pokémon's attack back to the top where its head waited. Caught off guard by Noctowl's swift maneuvers, Steelix had no chance to prepare once it found itself staring deeply into the Owl Pokémon's powerful eyes.
Mesmerizing psychic waves were cast upon Steelix through their optic connection. It struggled to stay awake after a short time of exposure to the Hypnosis. And as such…
*THUD*
Steelix's head collapsed upon the rock field. Its entire body nearly took up the full length of the battlefield itself. Despite it being fast asleep at the moment, Bruno's stony expression didn't change.
"Ash now has a window of opportunity with Steelix asleep due to the Hypnosis," the commentator relayed. "Will his next set of attacks be enough to defeat it before it wakes up?"
"… Noctowl… Air Slash!"
Noctowl held up both wings and unleashed a large Air Slash upon Steelix's head. Ash had it use a few more additional Air Slashes as part of slowly wearing down Steelix's stamina. The Air Slash collisions resulted in minor explosions that were not jarring enough to wake it.
"I wonder why Ash choose to use Air Slash, not that it matters as Steelix is resistant to Flying-type attacks and even against Extrasensory, a Psychic-type attack," Max commented to the side.
"Flying-type attacks do get additional power because Noctowl is part Flying-type," Brock clarified.
"That sounds about right," Max accepted. "I wish he could do something more about it, though."
"… Sky Attack!"
Noctowl went to higher altitudes, charging up energy as before to the point that the bright blazing aura flared out from its body. As it readied to strike from above, Steelix began to stir before sharply opening its eyes.
It woke up.
Steelix raised its head to catch Noctowl diving towards it with the power of Sky Attack pushing it forward. In a sheer act of brashness, the Iron Snake Pokémon threw its head forward to intercept the attack. Their clash elicited a hefty explosion, in which the haze enshrouded both Noctowl and Steelix's head.
"Right as it woke up, Steelix took on that Sky Attack head on without any command from its Trainer!" the commentator voiced.
The first to pull out of the dissipating smoke was Steelix, who appeared to be reeling in some damage from the crash as it shook its head to refocus. Noctowl fell out of it a few seconds later, seemingly immobile and landing onto its side. Its spiraling eyes confirmed it.
"Noctowl is unable to battle!" the referee ruled out, raising Bruno's flag. "Steelix wins!"
"And now Ash is down to his last Pokémon with Noctowl's defeat," the commentator narrated. "Will his last Pokémon be able to stand before Bruno's giant Steelix or will it be crushed like the Pokémon before it?"
"… Thank you… Noctowl," Ash whispered, pulling his fallen shiny Pokémon back into its Poké Ball.
The Pallet Town Trainer looked up to see the commanding visages of Bruno and his Steelix. They had certainly proven themselves to be even more formidable than Lorelei. She was not wrong when she said that he would be facing Trainers stronger than her. And unlike her, Bruno was still an active member of the Elite Four, even as the group transitioned to stationing in the Johto region in addition to Kanto.
If he were to win this round, Ash knew that he must constantly keep himself and his Pokémon at high levels of training to survive the remaining rounds. After all, what would be the chances of facing more powerful Trainers like the remaining Elite Four members? Those chances would just get higher and higher into the Champions League.
His third Pokémon was decided.
"… Quilava… I choose you!"
His primary Fire-type Pokémon from the Johto region was called to the field. In comparison to the Steelix it was about to face, it was relatively tiny in size despite being slightly bigger than Noctowl. Its will to fight, however, was anything but small.
"Ash's third and final Pokémon is Quilava!" the commentator relayed. "Now with both Trainers down to one Pokémon each, it all comes down to this. Steelix has taken some damage from its previous battle against Noctowl while Quilava is still fresh, but we have yet to see the full power from either side being brought to the field."
"Steelix, use Iron Tail!"
Bruno did not waste any time in carrying out the first attack this time. The Iron Snake Pokémon raised its sharp tail high, in which a good portion area Quilava was in has been completely covered in its shadow.
"… Eruption!"
The flames on Quilava's head and tail burned brighter than ever, to the point that the stored energy for the attack could be plainly seen. True to the namesake of Eruption, a massive pillar of fire shot up from its body. The power was intense enough for molten rocks to form from the source and fly up along with the growing pillar.
The size of the Eruption turned out to be even bigger than Steelix's tail. Even with its great size and strength, Steelix couldn't withstand the concentrated heat for much longer and was forced to pull away. This, in turn, allowed the Eruption to fly high into the air without obstruction. The molten rocks flew up fairly high in the stadium, but fortunately, they were no threat to the safety of the spectators surrounding them.
Eruption's range remained entirely within the rock battlefield. The most damage the Fire-type attack did was on the field itself and on Steelix, who had no viable way to dodge at the moment and had to endure the remaining falling molten rocks.
"It looks like Ash wasn't wasting time in finishing the match as soon as possible with a move like Eruption," the commentator continued. "That attack is at its strongest while the user is at full health."
"… Eruption one more time!"
"Steelix, Screech!"
The Iron Snake Pokémon ceased the opportunity while Quilava was preparing another Eruption attack, letting out its horrible scream as means to disrupt its concentration. It managed to succeed and Quilava was left cringing to deal with its lowered defenses, as well as covering its ears to block out the Screech as much as it could.
"Bruno was not about to let that happen again!" the commentator exclaimed.
"Steelix, use Dig!"
Ceasing its earsplitting Screech, Steelix immediately tunneled head first into the ground and was completely out of sight within a few seconds. Quilava shook off the aftershocks of the Screech and discovered that its opponent went underground to avoid future attacks, as well as prepare a nasty counterattack.
The Volcano Pokémon was on its guard as it felt the earth beneath its feet rumble in budding intensity. Steelix was on its way.
"… Quilava… Flamethrower on the ground!"
Quilava took a deep breath, igniting the flames on its head and tail for energization and unleashed its Flamethrower straight into the battlefield. The resulting action propelled it upward, giving it some additional distance between it and the rising Steelix.
Expecting to be exactly right underneath it, Steelix forced its head out of the ground with the intent to knock the opposing Fire-type Pokémon out of the battle. Instead, it was greeted by a stream of powerful flames bombarding it from above. Steelix managed to move an eye up to see Quilava already high up in the air using Flamethrower and had figured out the rest.
"When you know how to counter an elusive move like Dig, you just do it," the commentator jested. "This is one of the few moments I've seen where Trainers and Pokémon facing off against Dig users come up with a countermeasure on the spot like that. Using Flamethrower to fly up like a rocket was one thing, but Steelix was certainly not expecting that."
"When dealing with pure strength like mine, you've got to learn to improvise," Bruno mused, impressed by the actions and plays. "Otherwise, once you're hit, it's all over. Steelix, use Sandstorm!"
Steelix held its upper body straight up and started rotating its segments to whip up the Sandstorm. The lashing winds were overbearing. Quilava covered its face once it was back on the ground while maintaining its stance as to not be pushed around by the winds.
"That Sandstorm is going to be on the field for a while," the commentator resumed. "Pokémon that are not Rock, Ground, or Steel-types will be hurt for as long as the Sandstorm rages on."
"I know you're smart enough to avoid direct hits from my powerful attacks, but with Sandstorm on the field, you'll still be taking some damage regardless," Bruno added with a smirk. "Even if you try to use Eruption again, it won't be as strong with Quilava no longer at its full strength. Consider this as a bit of payback for poisoning my previous Pokémon."
Ash couldn't help but grin back confidently at the challenge, surprising his friends and a few rivals upon sight of it. Shades of his former self were shining through his distant exterior.
"… Quilava… Flamethrower!"
The Volcano Pokémon withheld its current suffering in the Sandstorm and unleashed a strong Flamethrower to cut through the whipping sand and strike Steelix in its midsection. Even with power and defense as strong as it had due to its training and giant size, Steelix could only handle so much more against super effective hits.
"Don't take that! Strike back with Iron Tail!"
"… Aerial Ace!"
Ash's command for a Flying-type move was unconventional, just like the utilizations of previous moves. In any case, the audience was excited to see what he had planned this time.
Quilava's paws were imbued with power of the air. Catching onto the idea its Trainer had, it swiped about its area as a test. The Aerial Ace swipes were able to break apart portions of Steelix's Sandstorm within the radius of its attack. There were no fierce sandy winds in Quilava's area at that point.
"What's this?!" the commentator exclaimed in amazement. "Has Ash found a way to stop the Sandstorm?"
Quilava wasn't worried about getting hit by Iron Tail at the moment. Using its own high speed and the boost from Aerial Ace, the Volcano Pokémon made its own Sandstorm-free path while keeping an eye out for Steelix's next move. Granted, it was still taking on damage from the areas were the Sandstorm lingered, but it would be worth dispelling the weather condition attack as soon as possible.
Within a few moments, the remaining Sandstorm was weakened due to Quilava's interference and died down sooner than expected. Quilava was out of breath from running around, but at least it could fight on more even footing now.
"… Quilava… use Flame Wheel!"
"Iron Tail again, Steelix!"
The two combatants opted for the classic attack collision this time. Quilava rolled itself up into a ring of flames and took off to take on Steelix's Iron Tail attack. The power matchup appeared to be even at the first few seconds before the Iron Snake Pokémon effortlessly pushed Quilava back and sent it sliding across the battlefield and into an agonizing stop.
"No way!" Max cried out. "How could Quilava fall to that with the type advantage?"
"We can't forget about Steelix's strength," Brock reminded. "There's also the fact that Quilava's defenses were weakened by Screech earlier in the battle. At this rate, any attack, including an ineffective type attack like Iron Tail, can finish off Quilava if Ash is not careful."
"Bruno has certainly proved his place in the Elite Four," Misty commented, sounding shocked and worried. "I know Ash has been training hard and all, but maybe Quilava is just not strong enough against a Pokémon like Steelix."
"You guys are giving up too easily," Dawn reprimanded. "Really, you think Ash is done for? With a match as good as this, we have to wait until it's over to see whether or not he wins."
Ash was feeling really anxious for the first time in a while. His previous battle against Lorelei nearly pushed him into this state, but that feeling had not last long. Bruno got him feeling like this sooner than she did. He watched as Quilava slowly got back on its feet, still recoiling from the damage Steelix gave it.
One more strike like that and it would be game over for him. It would just go to show that he did not prepare enough for a challenge like the Champions League. But even so…
He was not about go down without a fight to the bitter end.
"Quilava!" Ash called out, great passion echoing in the stadium for the first time in this tournament in place of his calm and steady demeanor.
His heart and sentiments reached out to the Pokémon, who also felt the same way about winning and doing their best. Quilava had even more potential within. It just always had trouble calling it out, having had that problem as a Cyndaquil. In the past, it took a fairly long time to start up its body flames, but with constant training and dedication, it overcame that obstacle.
Quilava did it once and it could do it again.
"Lah-vaaaahh!" Quilava howled into the air, its whole body consumed in flames as it started to glow brilliantly.
Nearly all the members in the audience were frozen in anticipation regarding the spectacle before them. It was not uncommon in the Champions League matches, but that didn't lower their value in any way, shape, or form.
Quilava's body grew bigger. It was standing upright. With a swing of its thicker arms out, the Pokémon broke out of the flames that surrounded its new body. The only sight of flames to behold was that blazing out from the back of its neck.
"Bahkphoon!" it growled vigorously.
"Now this is an incredible turn of events for Ash!" the commentator spoke up. "Despite nearly being pushed to the brink of defeat, Quilava stood again and has evolved into Typhlosion! Will the additional power gained from this evolution allow Ash to continue on in a blaze of glory?"
"Your willpower is to commended, young man," Bruno complimented. "The many Trainers I've faced in the past never lasted this long against me. It makes me wonder now if you're destined to be one of the few to surpass me and soar to greatness. I guess we'll never know until we finish this battle. Your move."
During the moments that followed his Quilava's evolution, Ash had instinctively taken out his Pokédex. It turned out to be a smart move on his end as he discovered that his Fire-type Pokémon had learned a new move. A particularly powerful one as a testament to their bond. It needed to be used soon.
"… Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"
The fire on the back of its neck burned intensely as Typlosion released a Flamethrower thicker and stronger than its pre-evolution's version to strike against Steelix's midsection. This time, a bigger reaction of pain was displayed from the hit.
"Steelix, use Screech!"
The Iron Snake Pokémon withstood the super effective hit long enough to retaliate with its deafening, somewhat metallic scream. As expected, Typhlosion covered its ears from the discomforting assault upon its hearing.
Its defenses have dropped even lower. That, combined with Steelix's low stamina from all of the super effective hits received, had turned the next few seconds into the ultimate bout.
Time to finish this, Bruno and Ash both thought, the desires to win burning within their aggressive eyes.
"Iron Tail!"
"… Blast Burn!"
Having been the first to receive the command, Steelix wound up its tail for the final strike. However, a throbbing sensation overtook its midsection. It was the same place that had been receiving all of those Flamethrower hits. It was rendered unable to carry out its heavy attack and instead, its body locked into place from the pain.
Typhlosion, at the meantime, was empowered with high levels of fire energy, evident as bright red-orange flames erupted all around its body. It then swung a fist down to send the concentrated wave along the ground until it reached underneath Steelix. Minature explosions followed the energy's path, making their way underneath Steelix as a massive fiery explosion overtook it from underneath.
*BOOM*
The shift in weight from the great Blast Burn explosion caused Steelix to tumble. And with a powerful hit like that, that ensured that it was not likely to get up any time soon.
"Steelix is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Typhlosion wins! The victory of this match goes to Ash of Pallet Town!"
"And thus Ash proves to have the greater willpower to win as he moves on to the final round of the preliminary rounds!" the commentator concluded. "Many more exciting matches will come later today once our field committee tidies the place up. Thank you all for sitting in with me and participating in another great Champions League battle! Until the next battle!"
Bruno quickly recalled his giant Steelix back into its Poké Ball to make things more bearable for everyone else around. He went to the center of the battlefield to meet up with Ash and his Typhlosion.
"You should feel accomplished for beating two Elite Four members in a row now," Bruno congratulated, placing a burly hand on one of the Pallet Town Trainer's shoulders. Even Pikachu quaked a bit when Bruno laid his hand. "I gave it my all and you managed to turn it around with your inner strength. I found out about your strategy in weakening Steelix's body parts so that it wouldn't be able to support its large size, turning its strong point into a burden. Not many Trainers would assess that situation as you did and would instead attack head on with force. You deserved this win."
"… Thank you, Bruno," Ash replied humbly. "… Quilava evolved thanks to you."
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu concurred.
"Phoon," Typhlosion added.
"No, I'm afraid that was still all you, young man," Bruno waved off graciously. "I'll be on my way out to reevaluate myself on how to become stronger so that one day we can have another rematch. I'm sure Lorelei already mentioned this when you defeated her, but there will be stronger Trainers than the both of us waiting for you in the later rounds of the Champions League. I must also warn you that with this match over, the members of the Pokémon League Committee have their eye out for you. You are one of the promising Trainers for your generation. That's all I have to say on that matter. Don't let us down now, Ash."
Following his final words, Bruno took his exit from the field, leaving Ash and his Pokémon to accept the vocal accolades from the remaining audience members all around for that wonderful battle.
Of course, he didn't stay long either upon seeing his newly evolved Typhlosion heavily panting on a knee. It needed to be treated as soon as possible after its intense bout from Bruno's giant Steelix.
"You really think Ash can really win this whole tournament?" Misty proposed casually as the whole gang was exiting the rock field stadium.
"He's surpassed both Lorelei and Bruno now," Brock reviewed. "I'd say he has a decent shot in making it far. Who knows? He might wind up surprising us again and really conquer the Champions League."
"But that means he might have to fight a Champion or two!" Max indicated. "They're in another league compared to the Elite Four."
"They're not that far off in skill and power," Dawn remarked. "I remember back when I traveled with Ash and Brock, Aaron of the Sinnoh Elite Four nearly took the title of Champion Master from Cynthia. Much has changed since then."
"I guess it's safe to say that the later rounds of the Champions League will be one big melting pot of potent combinations of battle style spices," Cilan surmised.
"… Right, what you said," Dawn agreed, rolling her eyes.
Outside the Pokémon Center…
Anabel was quick to leave the rock field stadium as she knew Ash was going to be here to treat his Pokémon. She passed Paul, who left to go train more and said that he saw no sign of him at the Pokémon Center.
It was likely that she actually got to the Pokémon Center before he did.
The Salon Maiden simply wanted to give her personal felicitations regarding his battle and spend some more time in his company before the day's end.
But the day wasn't about to let her go that easily.
"Long time, no see, dearest sister," a formal voice spoke from behind.
Anabel sighed. She didn't think this encounter would not happen until later on. She certainly was not in the mood to deal with this rising issue, but nonetheless, she had to take this on. Either way, it was going to take time away from Ash. She just needed to take care of this as quickly as possible.
"Hello, Lucian."
And that's all she wrote.
I know I've said time and time again that I wasn't going to give up on this story. Unfortunately, I've been struggling on not getting burned out by it either. I wanted to be done with this story already, but life has been burdening me with a lot more things to take care of.
In short, growing up sucks, even if it does get better eventually. The first steps are ironically the most difficult ones, but once you get the hang of it, you'll know how to better control your life. Enjoy your youth while you still can.
And if you're wondering how I'm updating my other stories more frequently, their chapters are shorter and less complex to write up.
Time to measure up my writing abilities. Please review!
L-ater!